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07-09-2005, 01:59 PM

As I said earlier, I am indeed disturbed by the pictures. And I agree with a lot of what Gary said. But honestly, that is the tip of a very large iceberg. How may times have people seen powerful constrictors being carried at reptile shows wrapped around the neck of some moronic show off? I personally know of someone who used to hold his snakes like that all the time during cage maintenance. That is until a previously docile (I hate to use the word "tame" to describe a wild animal) 5 foot carpet python decided to wrap his neck. He was unable to remove the snake before he started to "see stars" (as you know, compression of the carotid arteries will cause unconsciousness long before compression of the trachea). Fortunately his wife was in the next room and heard the struggle and was able to safely remove the constrictor from his neck and save his life. Had she not been there he likely would have been front page news -- MAN KILLED BY PET PYTHON.

I keep scrub pythons. They are rather powerful constrictors with rather large teeth and a potent bite. I know of people who use their so-called "tame" scrubs for classroom demonstartions and let children "pet" them. These animals respond to smell, heat, and motion. Imagine some little kid that had been playing with his or her pet rodent or rabbit before school approaching that snake and receiving a strike. Imagine those headlines -- GIRL BIT ON FACE BY DANGEROUS PYTHON IN SCHOOL DEMO.

I guess my point is that we all need to be a bit more careful perhaps as to what we take for granted here. The person who gets wrapped by a 5 foot carpet or ball python will in fact be dead long before the person who receives a bite from a hot "void".

07-09-2005, 01:59 PM	#76
Jim O	As I said earlier, I am indeed disturbed by the pictures. And I agree with a lot of what Gary said. But honestly, that is the tip of a very large iceberg. How may times have people seen powerful constrictors being carried at reptile shows wrapped around the neck of some moronic show off? I personally know of someone who used to hold his snakes like that all the time during cage maintenance. That is until a previously docile (I hate to use the word "tame" to describe a wild animal) 5 foot carpet python decided to wrap his neck. He was unable to remove the snake before he started to "see stars" (as you know, compression of the carotid arteries will cause unconsciousness long before compression of the trachea). Fortunately his wife was in the next room and heard the struggle and was able to safely remove the constrictor from his neck and save his life. Had she not been there he likely would have been front page news -- MAN KILLED BY PET PYTHON. I keep scrub pythons. They are rather powerful constrictors with rather large teeth and a potent bite. I know of people who use their so-called "tame" scrubs for classroom demonstartions and let children "pet" them. These animals respond to smell, heat, and motion. Imagine some little kid that had been playing with his or her pet rodent or rabbit before school approaching that snake and receiving a strike. Imagine those headlines -- GIRL BIT ON FACE BY DANGEROUS PYTHON IN SCHOOL DEMO. I guess my point is that we all need to be a bit more careful perhaps as to what we take for granted here. The person who gets wrapped by a 5 foot carpet or ball python will in fact be dead long before the person who receives a bite from a hot "void".